Maggie Armstrong

 

Paint

 I was born and educated in the north of England but, since my late teens, have lived in Asia, Australia, North America and in several different regions of England. I am currently living in Devon. 

In every place, I have been captivated by the very different interplays of light and colour and intrigued by the unique forms of cultural artefacts. These are the experiences on which I draw in my painting. Initially my inspiration may be triggered by a chance event – a thought, a memory, a glimpse through a window, a line of poetry. I then explore how I may express these things in paint on canvas and capture that which lies beneath and beyond. As I have always had an interest in 20^th Century abstract art in its many different forms, it came naturally to look to abstract painting to guide me to find my own personal language and style.

I very often use thin veils of colour on unprimed canvas and love the simplicity and luminosity which can be achieved by this approach. However on other occasions I use collage and various mediums. From the moment that an idea strikes and paint is put on canvas, a problem is set up which must be resolved if a painting is to succeed. It is therefore important not to have too many preconceptions about paint and texture at the beginning, but to let them emerge along the way.